From tom@transcore.

com Sun Jan 19 20:31:32 1997

Newsgroups: alt.self-improve
Subject: alt.self-improve FAQ (repost, part 1)
From: tom@transcore.com (Thomas Wong)
Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 20:31:32 GMT

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
alt.self-improve FAQ
Version 2.5 (1-15-1997)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

DISCLAIMER

This document is a collection of Frequently Asked Questions from the

alt.self-improve newsgroup. It is created by the editors for public use.
The information here is not guaranteed to be accurate and may not reflect
the opinions of the editors or their associates. This FAQ may be freely
distributed provided this disclaimer is included with all copies. All
contributions and suggestions for improvement are welcomed. Please direct all
your inquiries to the editors:

Loren Larsen (Creater of this FAQ)

IBM Corporation
Research Triangle Park, NC
llarsen@raleigh.ibm.com

Thomas Wong (Current Editor)

TransCore Strategies
P.O.Box 111000
Campbell, CA 95011
tom@transcore.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This FAQ is posted on the 17th of every month. A how-to-find-the-FAQ article
is posted on the 7th and 27th of every month. It's also available on the
World Wide Web at <http://www.transcore.com> and via FTP from rtfm.mit.edu:
/pub/usenet/news.answers/self-impr-faq/part [1,2] (version 2.0).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Changes since version 2.4

- Personal Power II Update
- Section E "Hot Topics of the Month" is now "Sample Hot Topics for 1996"
- Removal of Kevin Trudeau Lawsuit story
- Addition of some new resource links

Changes since version 2.3

- More on NLP Resources

Changes since version 2.2

- More on "Anti-Cult Movements"
- More on "NLP"
- $500,000 Psychic Challenge by The Amazing Randi
- Addition of "Success Vs Money"
- New links in "Resources and References"

Changes since version 2.1

- Revision of Information Management (reprinted from Sharing Ideas).
- Revision of Health Food.
- Addition of Virus of the Mind.
- Addition of NLP with respect to emotions.
- Addition of E/ Hot Topics of the Month (by 17th of each month).
- All resource links are now hyperlinked at <http://www.transcore.com>.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Introduction to alt.self-improve

The alt.self-improve group provides a forum for discussing strategies,

techniques, and principles for self-improvement. The table of contents gives
a good overview of the breadth of topics discussed. This FAQ has been
created to provide a single document that contains a sort of history of what
has been discussed in the newsgroup. New readers may find the answers to
many of their questions already answered in this document. We have attempted
to categorize questions by topic for easy access, but many issues don't fit
neatly into a single category. The contents of this document are collected
by the editors from past postings in alt.self-improve, personal e-mail
correspondence, and outside sources. All suggestions and contributions are
welcome. The newsgroup is not intended for commercial uses or promotion of,
commercial products; however, you may submit information for inclusion in the
"References and Resources" section. Only those companies whose products,
seminars, or books are discussed in this newsgroup will be accepted.

This document is constantly being revised and improved. Most of the materials
collected so far has been summarized based on past postings to the newsgroup.
Therefore, there may be errors due to the source or the deletion of certain
information. Also, some of the information presented may be biased toward the
interests and perspectives of the editors. Hopefully both of these errors and
bias can be eliminated with your feedback. Please help to expand and perfect
this document by contributing your knowledge.

Quoted articles are acknowledged by placing the poster's name in

parentheses, e.g. (From: llarsen@cs.clemson.edu). Information which is not
explicitly acknowledged has been compiled by the editors from a variety of
sources including past postings, external sources, and reader responses to
the editors.

We are considering different methods of compactly recording comments from

a wide variety of sources. One suggestion is to create a rating system
for books, seminars, etc. For example if you have attended a particular
speed reading course or a Tony Robbins seminar, send us your opinion by
rating it on a scale of 1-10. The average could be used as opposed to
a huge collection of personal responses. Any other suggestions are welcome.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A/ Self-Improvement Methods
1. Career
- Information Management
- Sales and Negotiation
- Time Management
2. Emotional
- Morris Acting / Method Acting
- NLP
3. Financial
 - Savings and Investment
- Real Estate
- Get-Rich-Quick Scams
- Success Vs Money
4. Mental
- Accelerated Learning
- Creativity Enhancement
- Hypnosis
- Meditation
- Memory Systems
- Mind Machines
- Speed Reading
- Virus of the Mind
5. Physical
- Baldness Cures and Consequences
- Body Work
- Eye Sight Improvement
- Health Food
- Voice Work
6. Relationship / Social
- Men and Women
7. Spiritual
- Religion and Self-Esteem
- Magic and Pseudo-Paranormal Phenomena

B/ Established Disciplines
1. Anti-Cult Movements
2. Est
3. Landmark (The Forum)
4. Life-Long Learning Association
5. Lifespring
6. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
7. The People's Network
8. Scientology / Dianetics

C/ Popular People and Media

1. Richard Bandler & John Grinder
2. Stephen Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People, etc.)
3. Tad James
4. Anthony Robbins
5. Marshall Sylver

D/ References and Resources

1. Resource List
2. Software Packages
3. Reader Ratings of Books/Audiotapes/Seminars
4. Who's Who Listing of Professionals in alt.self-improve

E/ Sample Hot Topics for 1996

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FAQ CONTENTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/ Self-Improvement Methods

1. Career
- Information Management (reprinted from Sharing Ideas)

"Put a World of Information at Your Fingertips"

Bill Gates's mission to "put a world of information at your fingertips" is

taking on a new meaning as he ventures into TV broadcasting. His recent
partnership with NBC promises to create a new cable channel called MSNBC
by fall 1996. Microsoft will pay $220 million over five years to own half
of this cable channel. The formation of this cable channel suggests the
construction of a new phase on the "Information Superhighway."

The world is moving fast into the "Information Age." Part of the
communication that we do every day will be involved in exchanging information.
Those who are in business will need to be able to gather and
provide information on consumer trends, economic data, legal issues, financial
sources, networking opportunities, and many other things to succeed in your
venture.

Lack of a piece of important information can cost you time and money.
The ability to manage information is equally important to an engineer,
a musician, a real estate agent, a nurse, or a teacher. Just think back on your
own experiences and on those of people you know. How often have you erred or
made a poor decision because you didn't have the right information in advance?
Perhaps you've wasted time driving in the wrong direction because you thought
you could find the destination. Perhaps you're being passed over for a
promotion because you don't seem to "know much," according to your boss.

While many have little awareness of information's vital role, they often
simultaneously suffer from a feeling of information overload. Reports, books,
mailings, and memos seem overwhelming. Implementation of the "Information
Superhighway" further adds massive information data.

Some may think that this is a problem of too much information, but in reality,
it is due a lack of information consciousness and of the ability to find and
manage the appropriate information effectively. The solution is to increase
information awareness. Ask specific questions to identify and find the most
useful and relevant information.

This information-gathering process has been eased in recent years by advances

in computer technology and high-speed communication. One way to think about
using data retrieval, whether online or off, is to compare it to a shopping
mall. Within the information mall, there are many specialty stores, such as
databases, periodicals, books, news sources, government documents, microfilm,
and data on people and organizations. Each store offers unique information,
so you must learn to choose selectively when researching.

The ideal way to manage information is to become an information specialist

who is thoroughly familiar with the hundreds of sources of information. This
may not be practical or necessary for now. Nevertheless, you should be able
to utilize the following six basic reference sources of information in
the U.S.:
-1- Libraries and Educational Institutions
-2- Online and CD-ROM Databases
-3- U.S. Government
-4- Nonprofit Associations
-5- Street-Smart Directories
-6- Commercial Services
* Good books to read on this subject are:
"Information Anxiety" by Richard Saul Wurman
"Managing the Information Age" by Michael McCarthy
"The Art of Being Well-Informed" by Andrew Garvin
"The Road Ahead" by Bill Gates
"Trends Tracking" by Gerald Celente
"Techno Trends" by Daniel Burrus
"Megatrends 2000" and "Megatrends Asia" by John Naisbitt
"Clicking" by Faith Popcorn

* Stanford University and InReference provides excellent references

on the Internet at <http://www.reference.com>. The content includes
6+ month archive of more than 13,000 newsgroups and publicly-accessible
lists. Send an email to <info@reference.com> if you don't have web access.

- Sales and Negotiation

(Modified from: imarks@cix.compulink.co.uk)

You have touched on a subject that is very important to me. Negotiation

and NLP are so closely linked that they almost become one subject.
The "ethical outcomes" and "win-win" approaches that both require naturally
complement each other. I have done much training in negotiation, but am self-
trained in NLP techniques, concentrating more on the results I can achieve,
than the technical reasons as to how it works.

Some effective negotiation techniques are those explained in "Getting to Yes"

by Roger Fisher and William Ury, and the follow-up books by the same authors,
who work with the Harvard Negotiation Project. Simple guidelines, no "aren't
I smart" techniques, and an easy set of principles to remember. Because they
are based on relationships and long term outcomes, using NLP to build rapport
can only aid the process.

Another well-known source is Karrass's Negotiation Seminars which are being

advertised in airline magazines. His book is called "Negotiation to Close."
You might also want to read "Getting What You Want" by Kare Anderson and
listen to "The Win-Win Negotiator" by Ross Reck & Brian Long and "The Secrets
of Power Negotiating" by Roger Dawson. These books and tapes are available
at your local bookstores.

Lastly, for intercultural negotiation with Asians, read "Understanding the

Asian Mind Game" and "Thick Face, Black Heart" by Chin-Ning Chu. Both books
are #1 best-sellers in Asia.

+++

- Time Management

One book that has been highly recommended by a number of readers is

"Time Power" by Charles Hobbs. The books helps you explore your belief
systems and work towards achieving "congruence" so that your fundamental
beliefs, goals, and actions are as free from conflict or contradiction as
possible.

Some other suggestions are:

"How to Get Control of your Time and Your Life" by Alan Lakein
"Getting Organized" by Stephanie Winston
"Overcoming Procrastination" by Albert Ellis
"Executive Time Management" by H. Reynolds and Mary Trammel
"The Organized Executive" by Stephanie Winston

Although some of these cater to business folks, if you grasp the

principle ideas, then you should be able to apply them to any situation.

Alan Lakein's six simple but powerful ideas are helpful:

1. List goals
2. Make a Daily To-Do list
3. Start with the A priorities, not the C's
4. Ask yourself "What is the Best use of my time right now?"
5. Handle each piece of paper only once.
6. Do it now!!!

You really don't need anything else except your own motivation.
Happy Reading!
(From: hughes@atlanta.emna.slb.com (Jeff Hughes))

Q. Is there time management software available?

A. One program for time management is ASCEND 4.0 for Windows. This
product is from Franklin Quest. A 60-day evaluation copy is
available on CompuServe. Enter "GO FRANKLIN". The filename is
ASCNEV.EXE

jbuchhei@spd.dsccc.com (Jerry Buchheit) writes:

"I would like to recommend the Day-Planner by Franklin Quest.
The organization of it allows me to maintain a wealth of information
in ONE place. I used to be 'organized' with several methods -
computer based one at work, a small notebook pocket one for
portability, a larger notebook one for space, and a calendar
type for appointments. I found I was 'thrashing' - organizing
without really being organized for productivity. Now that I have
placed all of my information in ONE location, I have facts and data
at my fingertips. I am much more organized and, I hope, productive."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Emotional

Have you ever wondered how you can manage your emotions from this minute to
the next? I have, and I think the answer is a combination of Method Acting/
Morris Acting and NLP techniques.

- Morris Acting / Method Acting

Method Acting is a controversial approach developed by a Russian called

Stanislavsky. It takes years to master this approach at the famous Actor's
Studio in New York because there's no structure to it. Actors who did master
this approach through massive exercises had the ability to create magical
reality on stage. Some of these actors include Marilyn Monroe, Marlo Brando,
James Dean, Dustin Hoffman, Paul Newman, and Brandon Lee.

Bill Moyers describes the benefits of Method Acting in his book and public
television series: "Healing and the Mind." A more comprehensive
work is done by Dale Anderson, the President of Medical Speakers
Association. He describes the concepts and benefits of Method Acting and
acting in general in his 1995 book, "Act Now." Unfortunately, he doesn't
teach you how to practice Method Acting.
 What Eric Morris did to Method Acting was what Richard Bandler did to
Erickson Hypnosis. He found/created a structure to practice Method Acting
and then expanded on it. I first witnessed his most impressive work at his
5-day acting Jamboree in 1994. It was the most exhilarating and meaningful
experience I've ever had, not to mention the high quality of his students.
All of them are warm and caring and have learned to be self-accepting
and non-judgemental about others. A few of his former students are
Jack Nicholson, Melanie Griffith, Terri Garr, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Morris Acting can be divided into two parts: (1) Instrumental work and
(2) Craft work. Instrumental work is about dealing with yourself. He has
developed hundreds of exercises to eliminate your emotional blocks and
conditioned responses to achieve an authentic being state. I've heard a lot
of advice on "be yourself" but no one except Eric Morris really teaches you
how to "be your authentic self" by removing excessive social obligations and
family conditioning. Craft work is about managing your emotional
states, and there are twenty-seven choice approaches.

Examples of Choice Approaches:

(1) Sense Memory - Training your five senses to memorize an experience so
that you can re-create the experience later by recalling the senses.
Self-directed sensory responses (external state)
--> mental hallucination (internal state)

(2) Imaginary Monologue - Talk to someone meaningful in your life about

meaningful things to get yourself affected in the way you want.
(3) Sub-Personalities - Find, elicit, and use the different selves that you
have: a pusher, a critic, a parent, a lover, etc. Not the same as NLP
parts.
(4) External - Model the essence of people, animals, and inanimate objects.
Have you seen "Wolf" played by Jack Nicholson. It's that real.

Eric's work is summarized in his four books: (1) Being and Doing, (2) No
Acting Please, (3) Irreverent Acting, and (4) Acting from the Ultimate
Consciousness. You can get these books from your local bookstore.

- NLP

NLP emphasizes the use of submodalities, anchoring, and association/

dissociation to deal with your emotions. These patterns work well when you
are open and emotionally available.

The phobia cure pattern is the trademark of NLP. The principle behind this
pattern is to detach yourself from a fearful experience by using multiple
dissociations. A simple dissociate state is when you can see yourself or
a just-like-you person in your experience. In other words, you take an
"observer" position as if you're watching a movie of yourself. The next
step might involve playing with the submodalities of your experience.
For example, you can move the picture of your fear 20 feet from where it used
to be, turn it upside down, tune it into black and white,
put sweet music into it, and etc.

Another NLP pattern is called "collapsing anchors". An anchor is

a conditioned physiological response to a stimulus. For example, you respond
to a stop sign by stopping because it's an anchor that triggers your reflex
to step on the brake. To collapse an emotional anchor, you access
another strong emotion simultaneously so that you diffuse the other anchor.
* In my opinion, the differences between acting and NLP are:
(1) Acting is about experiencing and accepting emotions so that you
become comfortable with who you are and how you feel. NLP, on the other
hand, takes a problem solving approach, and its outcome is to move from
a "present state" to a "desired state." NLP asks you to identify the right
state for a certain task, such as that associated with doing math or playing
golf, so that you can become a peak performer.

(2) Acting focuses on accessing information, while NLP works to

process the accessed information. For example, doing an imaginary monologue
with a dead uncle is a choice approach (acting). How you manipulate the
sensory responses--the sounds that you hear, pictures that you see,
the feelings in your body--is NLP.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Financial Management

- Savings and Investment

The most well known source of information about personal finance information
is probably Charles Givens. He gives seminars around the country and is the
author of the best-selling books, "Wealth Without Risk" and "Financial Self-
Defense." He is also the founder of the "Charles J. Givens Organization"
which is supposedly the largest organization of its type in the world, that
is dissiminator of personal finance information and advice. His organization
was recently sued in Iowa for giving misleading financial advice. See
Newsweek (May 17, 1993) for more details. The whole thing was later settled
out of court for a large amount of money.

Charles Givens has also reportedly lied about the story he often tells of losing
and regaining his millionaire fortune three times. He also claims that he made
his riches in real estates. Some critics argue that he made more money by
selling his organization memberships ($500 and $1,000) and from his get-rich-
quick real estate and business investment programs. <tom@transcore.com>
has taken his real estate seminar and feels that it's worth the money. However,
he feels that everything else is overpriced and oversold. The comprehensive
real estate investor program, for example, is priced at $10,000.

To be fair, a significant number of people have benefited from his books.

As an example, <tom@transcore.com> had two minor rental car accidents
over the last four years and he suffered no financial losses even though he
never bought any of the rental car insurances. The key is to choose the right
information and adapt it to your personal situation. Givens's books can help
you save money, but no readers of this group have reported gaining great
wealth from following his advice.

* Other resources for financial management:

(a) One excellent place to look is in the misc.invest FAQ.

(b) A good book to read is called "Your Money Or Your Life" by Joseph
Dominguez and Vicki Robin. This book takes a "holistic" approach to financial
success, meaning that it treats finances as an integral part of your entire
life, not one separable part that can be talked about separately. It discusses
attitudes toward money, spiritual feelings about money, whether how you are
making money is consistent with your values, etc.

(3) Another book recommended by a Canadian reader is "The Wealthy Barber."

- Real Estate

Robert Allen gives a lot of street-smart advice in his book, "Nothing Down."
Basically, it's about how to buy properties by negotiating with the buyers
for everything except cash payment (unless you can buy the properties at a
wholesale price). The key is to find a "motivated seller."

In real estate, the key to a good buy is its location. It's much better to
buy the worst property in a good neighborhood than to buy the best property
in a poor neighborhood. The value of a property depends on its neighborhood.

In short, Robert has some solid advice for seasoned investors as well as
first-time home buyers. Good use of his book can save you lots of $$$.

- Get-Rich-Quick Scams

Here's a humorous article posted by Michael Nugent (mnugent@internet-eireann.ie)

to counteract the spread of get-rich-quick chain letters.

"!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Make Money Fast !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This really does work !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just send All Your Possessions to the person at the top of the list below and
add your own name to the bottom of the list. It's that simple!!! Then send
this post to 5 other people!!! Within less than a very short time you will
have all of the possessions of 5 other people: 5 houses, 5 cars, 20 or so
computers, some food, and other goodies. This is all legal!!! Very soon after
that 25 different people will have sent you everything that they own!!! And
then you can do the sums. It works. You will get all of the possessions of
125 people from different cultures and backgrounds, then over 600 people, and
then over 3000 people!!! You will be RICH BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS!!! You
will be HAPPY EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE and you will have sex more often than
poor people who do not get involved with this fully legal scheme!!! So send
me all of your possessions NOW. This instant or you will die a horrible death
with maggotty things eating your inside as you fry from the inside out in a
very hot microwave oven!!! It's really that simple--and it really works!!!

Yes. I'M CONVINCED! What do I do now?

Just send all your possessions to the first person on this list then add
your name to the bottom and move each other name up one place. Then just
wait by your mailbox TO BECOME RICH!!!

1. Michael Nugent at my address

2. Mick Nugent c/o Michael Nugent
3. Mike Nugent c/o Mick Nugent
4. Mikey Nugent c/o Mike Nugent
5. Mr. M Nugent c/o Mikey Nugent

- Success Vs Money

Many self-help programs (especially of the "infomercial" type)

seem to confuse success with wealth. There is considerable
evidence that, regardless of what you want the money for, it's
actually easier to go for it directly instead of going to all the
trouble of getting rich first. People who concentrate on the
money tend to forget why they wanted it in the first place (they
aren't necessarily unhappy, but they aren't the same person anymore).
I highly recommend the book "The Seven Laws of Money" by
Michael Phillips. Among other things, he points out that most people
have the financial means to accomplish specific goals that may seem to
be out of reach, *if* they're willing to make sacrifices in other areas
of their lives. When he points this out to people (using their own
financial statements), they can't use lack of money as an excuse
anymore, and they're forced to re-evaluate their goals.

The current edition is a pocket-sized paperback from Shambala Press

(they publish those little books you see by the checkout counter in
bookstores). It looks a bit like Mao's "little red book", except that
it's green :-). The earlier edition from 1974 had some additional
commentary by other people that's not in the current one.

[The First Law is "Money will come when you are doing the
right thing". Marsha Sinetar later rephrased this in her book "Do
What You Love, The Money Will Follow". Note the underlying
assumption that "what you love" is actually "the right thing".
This comes from the Zen concept of "right livelihood", which is
discussed in a number of popular "career" books.]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Mental

- Accelerated Learning

Accelerated learning is a technique that was pioneered by a Bulgarian

psychologist named Lozanov during the 1950's/60's. A typical session involves
two stages: learning while in deep relaxation, and consolidating through play.

In the first stage of a session, pupils are seated (or sit on cushions) in a
comfortable room and are encouraged to relax, get themselves into a positive
frame of mind and visualize a time when they experienced real joy at
successfully learning something.

Once everyone is relaxed, the teacher will start some music. The best music
has been found to be Baroque music, by composers like Bach, Handel and
Vivaldi, at a tempo of about sixty beats per minute (60bpm). The students are
asked to breath in time to the music to increase their relaxation - a common
method is to breath in for four seconds, hold it for four seconds, breathe out
for four seconds and pause, in time with the music.

The teacher then reads the material to be learned, again in time with the
music, and varying the tone and volume of his/her voice. If the material is,
for example, the basic vocabulary of German, the teacher will read an English
word, followed four seconds later by the German equivalent. The idea is the
material will "imprint" itself on the minds of the students, with little
conscious effort by them.

The second stage involves revising the material through play, the idea again
is to make the session as relaxed and enjoyable as possible.

The editors have no experience of the techniques themselves, so we cannot say

if they are of any value. Reports of the technique have varied from wild
claims of learning 2000+ foreign words in a day, to murmurs of disappointment
from people who found the sessions boring and repetitive. Many people have
commented that people who are good auditory learners seem to have more success
than those who are good visual learners, so Anthony Robbins fans might want to
check this out.

The only audio material being produced at the moment (as far as we know) is
by Colin Rose, who has also written a book on the subject (called, strangely
enough, "Accelerated Learning"). You also might want to dig out a copy of
"Superlearning" by Maria Ostrand, which describes the history of Accelerated
Learning in detail and gives a complete guide to doing it yourself.

* In recent years, whole-brain learning has emerged as an alternative to

Lozanov's concept of accelerated learning. Here's an introduction of whole-
brain learning from "Beginner's Mind."

Dr. Roger Sperry was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on the "split-brain
theory" in 1981. According to his study, the brain has two hemispheres
with different but overlapping qualitative functions. The left and right
hemispheres share and communicate their information through a nerve bundle
called the corpus callosum. According to this theory, the left hemisphere
digitizes the content and organizes the logic while the right hemisphere
handles emotional impressions and responses. The left hemisphere is basically
"fact friendly," while the right hemisphere is more "idea friendly." This
distribution of mental functions brings about some qualities that are
specifically associated with each hemisphere.

Qualities Associated with the Left and Right Hemispheres

--------------------------------------------------------
Left Hemisphere Right Hemisphere
--------------------------------------------------------
Right body control Left body control
Logic Feelings
Rules Imagination
Vertical Lateral
Language Music
Sequences Randomness/Spontaneity

A great deal of human behavior is asymmetrical. Laterality is demonstrated

whenever an action demands more from one side of the body than the other.
Every time you wink, shake a fist, or kick a dog, you tend to favor one side
more than the other. What you can do to heighten your whole-brain usage is to
activate the nondominant parts of your body. You may feel a bit uncomfortable
at first, but the payoff will be worthwhile.

Leonardo da Vinci, a great historic inventor, recognized the value of

stimulating his nondominant hemisphere for creative problem solving. He wrote
with his nondominant hand to come up with unconventional ideas. To test this
out, think of a conflict that you've had recently. Then write down five words
to describe that situation using your dominant hand (for most people, this is
your right hand). Relax and focus on your rate of breathing for one minute.
Then write down another five words using your other hand. Check to see if there
are any similarities and differences between them. For some people, it may be
easier to draw or make sketches to describe the situation. Try it both ways
and see which way gives you a better response.

Your hands are only one of your body parts that you can use to help
stimulate a fresh perspective. Exercising other nondominant parts of
your body will greatly enhance the whole experience. Next time, when
you're watching a movie, sit on the side of the theater that you
would normally avoid. If you like to wink with your right eye, try
using your left eye. Dr. Robert-Michael Kaplan, an eye vision fitness
trainer and author of Seeing Beyond 20/20, has also suggested wearing
an eye patch over your dominant eye. Do this for a few hours a day to
improve your overall vision. It will teach you about seeing instead
of just looking at things.

You can also selectively stimulate the hemispheres of your brain by

alternating breathing across your nostrils. Pay attention to your
breathing right now to find out which nostril is being used more than
the other. You can close off one nostril and breath, then close off
the other and breath. It requires a greater effort to breathe through
the nondominant nostril. Research has shown that you will favor one
nostril over the other for about ninety minutes and then switch to
the other side. When you selectively use the nondominant nostril, you
stimulate the less active hemisphere of your brain. This change is
particularly useful when you need to switch your way of thinking from
the analytical to intuitive, or from random association to structured
thinking.

Both Zygon and the Learning Strategies use a combination of accelerated

learning and whole-brain learning techniques in their popular audio tapes.
Betty Edwards, author of "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain," used
art to elicit the power of your other brain. Finally, accelerated and
whole-brain learning techniques have been applied extensively in many
self-improvement disciplines, from Design Human Engineering to speed reading.

- Creativity Enhancement

The best books to start in creativity enhancement are "A Kick in the Seat of
the Pants" by Roger von Oech and "What A Great Idea!" by Charles Thompson.
Roger will introduce you to the four stages of creativity, namely EXPLORER,
ARTIST, JUDGE, and WARRIOR. Charles will teach you techniques used by the
world's most creative people, such as Dr. Yoshiro NakaMats. Yoshiro is the
inventor of the digital watch, the floppy disk, and the CD. Known as the
Edison of Japan, he has over 2,300 patents, more than double the 1093 held
by Thomas Edison.

Charles also emphasizes the importance of a creativity-friendly environment.

You can make the lightning, background noise, temperature work for you instead
of against you. He also suggests that you find those places and times where
you are most free to come out with ideas. These can be when you're exercising,
listening to a church sermon, falling asleep, waking up, commuting to work,
looking out the window, or sitting on the toilet!

* For those in science, you'll love "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" and
"What Do You Care What Other People Think?" by Richard Feynman. Richard was
the most wacky character in physics: he cracked the safe containing atomic
bomb secrets in the 40s, got his Nobel prize because of his PLAYFUL CURIOSITY
in calculating the relationship between the rotation and up-and-down wobbling
of a plate, and identified the cause for Challenger space shuttle explosion
by dropping a rubber bend into a glass of ice water.

* Another well-known speaker in this area is Edward deBono, who has coined the
term "lateral thinking" and written half a dozen of books on it. The basic
idea of lateral thinking is that instead of moving directly and automatically
from a goal to a solution, the mind searches in many different directions to
find a solution. It involves avoiding solving problems in the most familiar
or obvious way. His books are quite readable and enjoyable. Personally, the
editor finds that there are too many exercises and not enough substance for
real world applications.

* Other good books are:

"99% Inspiration" by Bryan Mattimore (excellent new approaches in creativity)
"108 Ways to Get a Bright Idea" by Arthur VanGundy (practical techniques)
"Breakthroughs" by P. Nayak and M. Ketteringham (dull writing, good cases)
"Crackpot or Genius" by Francis Feynolds (about physical inventions)
"Creativity in Business" by Michael Ray and Rochelle Myers (new age)
"Future Edge" by Joel Arthur Barker (about shifting paradigms)
"Idea Power" by Arthur VanGundy (excellent software references)
"It Only Takes One" by John Emmerling (one specific approach: S.T.R.I.K.E.)
"What's the Big Idea?" by George Lois (about great ads like Xerox's Monkey)

* Mindmapping. This is a specific creativity enhancement technique developed

by Tony Buzan for "associatively" recording ideas on paper. Most notetaking
methods on paper are linear; that is you start at the top of the page and
record information in the order presented from top to bottom. Buzan recognized
that this isn't consistent with the way the human mind works, which is
"associately" by creating associations between items that are not necessarily
related to some predefined order. A mindmap works by beginning at the center
of the page with a main idea and work outward producing a growing and organized
structure composed of keywords and images. Complete sentences or even phrases
are not allowed because they're redundant and inefficient. Mindmaps are useful
in organizing information, taking notes, outlining talks or written material,
brainstorming for creating new ideas and seeing new connections between things.
They require a more active involvement in taking notes because the location of
the next item must be decided upon based on what is already there. Traditional
"verbatim" approaches simply state that "what will come will follow what has
come." Mind maps are easier to remember and easier to review because each
one is visually different and because no two will have the exact same
structures, colors, clusters, symbols, etc. Mindmapping is described by
Tony Buzan in "The Mind Map Book" as well as several of his other books.
Another good book is called "Mindmapping" by Joyce Wycoff. There's also
several software for mind mapping. A good one is "Inspiration."

- Hypnosis

Hypnosis is used by many different forms of therapy. Self-hypnosis

is also possible and many people report positive experiences with hypnosis.
This topic is not often discussed in much detail in alt.self-improve.

Hypnosis can be used in many ways for self-improvement. It can allow the
mind to utilize its resources in new ways and to change behavior and create
new desired behaviors. To learn more about hypnosis, read the newsgroup
"alt.hypnosis," which has a very good FAQ. There is a web site describing
hypnosis training by Tad James as well (See References and Resources).
Tad has recently been elected to be the President of the American Board of
Hypnotherapy (ABH).

NLP also utilizes hypnosis in various ways. An excellent book on hypnosis is

"Trance-formations" by John Grinder and Richard Bandler.

- Meditation

Many people in this group have had some experience with meditation. Some
reported very good results, while others didn't. The topic is not often
discussed in detail in alt.self-improve although it does seem relevant.
A better place might be "alt.meditation."

- Memory Systems

(Contributed by: r.follmer@genie.geis.com)

Quite often the question comes up regarding memory systems. One has either
read a book, or has seen an infomercial concerning it. Do they work and are
they worth the money?

A quick bit of history. Recorded history concerning memory systems is

documented to about 500 B.C. There are indications that these were in
existence as early as 1500 B.C., but only fragments exist supporting this
claim. The ancient orators used these systems to help deliver their famous
speeches.

In modern times we have books, audio cassettes, and video recordings all
teaching memory systems. One cannot really compare one system to another.
All have some good features to them. All are taught by people who have been
in the business or have studied it. Most of the systems utilize a principle
called mnemonics. Simply stated, this means assisting the human memory
by artificially adding mental pictures or images attached to the item to be
retained in our mind.

These systems do work, but you have to put in some time and effort to learn
the basics. Once you do this, you will find the systems learned will be
invaluable to you for the rest of your life.

Virtually anything you wish to remember can be memorized by utilizing these

systems. They are not a waste of your time. Often the question of cost is
raised. The books cost a few dollars while the book + audio/video combinations
are much more expensive. Usually this is in the area today of $200 - $300 or
more. Obviously the utilization of the audio/video is more effective due to
the learning principles involved. Our retention is greater and our learning
time is shortened. Books, on the other hand, are less expensive, but take a
bit longer to learn from. An on-site seminar is the best possible way to learn
these systems.

Books on the retail market by Harry Lorayne and Tony Buzan are among the best
available, although others are equally effective.

One of the best background texts I have ever run across is by Kenneth Higbee
of Brigham Young University. He is the only one that has done the homework
in this business although others are now coming on line with more current
study findings. His book is titled "Your Memory - How it Works and How to
Improve it."

- Mind Machines

Mind machines are devices used for relaxation or to attempt to alter brain
states. These devices are usually worn on the head and use light or sound
effects. The scientific validity of their effectiveness has been debated
in the group with no conclusive answers.

One positive comment is from lydiapolk@aol.com (Lydia Polk): "I bought a

Theta Technologies Voyager XL since they dropped the price from $350 to $200.
It works as claimed. It comes with 50 built-in sessions and an additional 25.
I use it primarily to get into delta sleep. But you can buy audio tapes
that are designed to work with it and download session paramaters into the
machine. You can get tapes for all kinds of self-improvement."

Another popular supplier is Zygon which ads have appeared in Airline magazines
and TV infomercials. Their machines and tapes are fun to use, but their claims
are way out of line. They don't match up to their promises.

* Editors' Note: The best reference on this subject is "Mega Brain Power"
by Michael Hutchison. It has a complete review on just about every device on
the market. Some of these devices are:
(1) Biofeedback: Mind Pyramid, EEG Devices, Mind Mirror III,
NeuroSearch 24, Brain Tracer, GSR Systems, Antense EMG System.
(2) Light Power: Ott Full Spectrum Light System, Color Receptivity Trainer,
Relaxmate.
(3) Light & Sound: David Paradise, Photosonix Galaxy, Mastermind DLS.
(4) Electric Power: Alpha Stim 100, Nustar.
(5) Motion: Integrated Motion System, Symmetron Chair.
(6) Senses: Vibrasound, Genesis, Prosonic Induction, Discovery Sound Bed.
(7) Many more, including Richard Bandler's Neurosonic Tapes.

- Speed Reading

The most famous speed reading method is called "Evelyn Wood's Reading Dynamics".
You can learn this method through a number mediums including seminars, books,
cassette tapes, or computer software (1-800-447-READ). A book is also
available called "The Evelyn Wood 7 Day Reading & Learning Program",
ISBN 0380 715775, $4.99.

Most speed reading courses focus on a number of similar principles. One major
impediment to speed reading is subvocalizing (saying words to yourself while
reading). The motion of the eye is another key factor. Instead of reading just
one word at a time, you are taught to pick up phrases, sentences, lines, or
groups of lines in a single glance (depending on the method being taught).
In order to increase comprehension, some methods try to make the user more
active in the reading process by having the user take notes in a specific way,
ask questions before and after reading, etc.

jimw@netcom.com (Jim Whitaker) writes: "Speed Reading Made EZ"

(1) Sit down at a well lit table and sit up straight.
(2) Take a hardcover book with big-easy-to-read print; preferably not a novel,
but some kind of no-brainer non-fiction works best.
(3) Take your finger or a pen and underline the words as you read them.
Get used to pacing with your finger for a few minutes.
(4) Now speed up. Simply move your finger faster than you can sound out
the words. You may not be able to understand what you read at all.
In fact, if you think you can comprehend what you are reading, speed up
till you simply see a blur of words that you recognize. If you are having
problems and keeps sounding out the words compulsively--hum a tune.
This disables your brain's capacity or habit for verbalizing words.
(5) Aim your eyes above the line of text you are reading, as if you were trying
to read "between the lines". This makes it easy to focus your attention on
groups of words rather than your eye stopping on individual words, which
slows you down. At first you are not aiming to understand; you are trying
to train your brain to accept that it can see and know what phrases of
words mean simply by looking at them.
(6) Practice this exercise for no more than 15 minutes at a sitting, no more
than one sitting per day, usually after your morning wake-up ritual when
 you are at your prime. If you try to push too hard or too fast, your brain
hardware will resist you.
(7) After 8 or so sessions, your brain will start to abandon trying to
comprehend what you read as "sounds" and instead will visually grab words
and process them in parallel, instead of one at a time. Typical reading
speeds at this point in time are around 800 to 1500 words per minute.
(8) The ultimate key to speed reading is realizing that your brain is learning
to process words with the process of seeing them in groups, then processing
their meaning. We are taught to read by seeing words, sounding them out,
and then using our spoken speech hardware to comprehend what we read. The
brain doesn't need this slow speech step.
(9) After a number of sessions in which you are comfortable with this technique,
get rid of the finger and use a small brown index card with three black
semicircular dots along one edge on it. The black dots tell you where to
position your eyes as you read across the page. Take this card, and drag
it down the page, scanning each line 123 123 123 123 with your eyes fixating
either on the dots or above the text lines. With your finger out of the
way, you can pick up some serious speed. As with before, don't expect
perfect comprehension right away.
(10) Lose the card. Get in the habit of just scanning with your eyes.
(If I'm tired, sometimes I still pull out the card. It's a great crutch.)

There are more techniques for speed than just these. I used to crank along at
30K WPM. This 10 step plan is good for about 3K WPM or sometimes a little more.
The fantastic rates come from learning to scan in text essentially out of
order, grabbing entire paragraphs as your eyes pop around them almost at random.

As you read, try to ask questions to yourself about what is going on, or who
the material is suitable for, or something to allow you to "correlate" it.
If you are not reading with need or potential purpose in mind, your brain
won't remember it. In fact, your brain will not even process it. It will just
see words flying by. The purpose of studying for an exam just doesn't cut it.
You have to try to imagine using the material in the real world, or sifting
it for "junk" or planning something to do with it, and considering what effect
what you are reading will have on your plan or your needs. In short, your brain
will slowly get in the habit of "asking questions" at lightning speeds. It
won't even bother to sound these questions out or formulate them--just
instantly come up with them and compare them relative to the material being
read.

The success of speed reading varies from individual to individual and is

likely dependent on commitment and practice. The average reader reads about
350 words/minute. After speed reading training, speeds of 500-2000 words/minute
are possible. It is difficult to measure exactly how this effects
comprehension. I am not currently aware of scientific studies that show the
effectiveness of speed reading programs.

* Photo-Reading

Photo-Reading is a concept developed by Paul Scheele. The brochure

claims: "...mentally photograph the printed page at rates exceeding a page
per minute..." but the class teaches, in effect, that's an undeveloped
photograph and if you want to know what was in the picture you have to go
back and use other techniques--skimming if you want a general idea of the
material, and maybe old-fashioned reading and study if you want detailed
understanding.

Most of the class time was spent on standard speed reading techniques, such as
preview, skimming, review (they use other terms to describe it).

One student (fluke@netcom.com, Fred Fluke) suggested that the "Photo" part is
more a gimmick than a real technique. After doing the "Photo" process you still
have to go back and apply standard reading and/or speed reading techniques
(preview, summarize, find an application, correlate similar ideas, etc.) to
"activate" the information. Without the "activation" step they assert that
your "subconscious" knows the information but you don't have conscious access
to it.

In discussing his refund with Peter Bissonette, the president of Learning

Strategies Inc., he admitted that's about how it is--but he still asserted
that on the whole it's a more effective reading method than anything else
out there. Maybe so, but the spread between promise versus delivery was too
great.

- Virus of the Mind

This work by Richard Brodie (RBrodie@aol.com), the inventor of Microsoft Word,

is about the science of memetics, a controversial new field that transcends
psychology, biology, anthropology, and cognitive science. A working definition
of meme is that it's a unit of information in a mind whose existence influences
events such that more copies of itself get created in other minds.

A virus of the mind is something out in the world that infects people with
memes. Those memes, in turn, influence the infected people's behavior so that
they help perpetuate and spread the virus.

If you currently believe in any concepts or subcultures or dogmas that meet

these requirements: (1) a method of penetration, (2) a way of reproducing
itself faithfully, and (3) a means to spread itself to other minds, and you
didn't consciously choose to program yourself with these memes, you are
inflected with a mind virus.

(1) Penetration
- Repetition
Hearing a similar message repeatedly on television.
Being in a group where something is read constantly.
Hearing a point of view repeatedly, e.g. gun control.
- Cognitive Dissonance
Going through an initiation or test.
Taking a confrontational or uncomfortable seminar that gives
a sense of relief at the end.
Reaching some goal or reward after a struggle or being told that you
are not good enough.
- Trojan Horse
Listening to a concept that mostly seems right, but has a few components
that kind of rub you the wrong way.
Hearing appeals to help children, resolve a crisis, feed hunger.
Being presented opportunities to get more sex or money by adopting
new beliefs.

(2) Faithful Reproduction

- By instilling a belief that tradition is important. The way things
have been said and done in the past is the way they ought to be done.
- By saying that a set of memes is the Truth.
- By setting up a structure that rewards copying and punishes modification
(the Army?)
(3) Spreading
- Programming you with a meme to get the words out before it's too late,
pushing your windows of opportunity buttons.
- Programming you with a meme to the effect that this will help children.
- Programming you to evengelize the virus: passing the favor, enrollment.

Richard suggests that you practice Zen to disinfect yourself from mind viruses.
Zen practitioners learn to take in what their senses perceive and dissolve
the artificial distinction-memes of human ideas and concepts.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------